Earth moving equipment bucket corner

Abstract

An earth moving equipment bucket corner includes a side upright portion attachable to a bucket sidewall, and a floor portion defining a horizontal plane attachable to a bucket floor lip. The floor portion has an upper GET contacting surface and a lower GET contacting surface, and a boss, having a central horizontal longitudinal axis, on the upper GET contacting surface configured to engage a GET wherein the upper GET contacting surface is parallel with the lower GET contacting surface. The invention also relates to an earth moving bucket lip protection system including the bucket corner and a GET and also to a bucket including the earth moving bucket lip protection system.

1 . An earth moving equipment bucket corner comprising:
 a side upright portion attachable to a bucket sidewall, the side upright portion defining an upright outside GET contacting surface on an outside of the side upright portion and an upright inside GET contacting surface on an inside of the side upright portion;   a floor portion, defining a horizontal plane, attachable to a bucket floor lip, the floor portion having an upper GET contacting surface and a lower GET contacting surface; and   an intermediate portion extending between and angled with respect to the side upright portion and the floor portion, wherein a boss, having a central horizontal longitudinal axis and configured to engage a ground engaging tool (GET), is provided on the upper GET contacting surface and wherein the upper GET contacting surface is parallel with the lower GET contacting surface.   
     
     
         2 . The earth moving equipment bucket corner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the upper GET contacting surface is parallel with the lower GET contacting surface to within an angle ϕ of from about 0° to about 5°. 
     
     
         3 . The earth moving equipment bucket corner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the outside GET contacting surface and the inside GET contacting surface are parallel. 
     
     
         4 . The earth moving equipment bucket corner as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the intermediate portion defines a top GET contacting surface and a bottom GET contacting surface disposed parallel with the top GET contacting surface. 
     
     
         5 . The earth moving equipment bucket corner as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the side upright portion, the floor portion and the intermediate portion comprise a leading edge, defining a leading edge plane, for insertion in the GET and wherein the boss includes a recess in the upper GET contacting surface for abutting a GET connector at an upright GET connector contacting seat, which defines a contacting seat plane, and wherein the leading edge plane and the contacting seat plane are parallel. 
     
     
         6 . The earth moving equipment bucket corner as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the leading edge plane and the contacting seat plane are parallel to within an angle ω of from about 0° to about 20°. 
     
     
         7 . The earth moving equipment bucket corner as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the side upright portion, the floor portion and the intermediate portion comprise a chamfer between the leading edge and the inside GET contacting surface, the upper GET contacting surface and the top GET contacting surface respectively. 
     
     
         8 . The earth moving equipment bucket corner as claimed in  claim 5 , further comprising a GET contacting surface transition zone disposed between the leading edge and the upper GET contacting surface, wherein the transition zone includes a bevel formed from a radiused surface and a first sloped surface intersecting with a first side of the radiused surface. 
     
     
         9 . The earth moving equipment bucket corner as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the transition zone includes a second sloped surface intersecting with a second side of the radiused surface. 
     
     
         10 . The earth moving equipment bucket corner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the central horizontal longitudinal axis of the boss and the inside GET contacting surface of the side upright portion are parallel to within +/−10°. 
     
     
         11 . An earth moving bucket lip protection system comprising:
 a bucket corner as claimed in  claim 1 ; and   a GET for connection with the bucket corner.   
     
     
         12 . The earth moving bucket lip protection system as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the GET is connectable with the bucket corner at defined contact points on the GET configured to stand proud of the outer surface of the GET. 
     
     
         13 . The earth moving bucket lip protection system as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the GET comprises pads defining the contact points. 
     
     
         14 . The earth moving bucket lip protection system as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising a GET connector for reversibly attaching the GET to the bucket corner at the boss. 
     
     
         15 . An earth moving equipment bucket comprising a bucket corner as claimed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         16 . An earth moving equipment bucket comprising an earth moving bucket lip protection system as claimed  claim 11 .